Journal article
The salience of cancer and the "survivor" identity for people who have completed acute cancer treatment: a qualitative study
Journal of cancer survivorship, v 10(3), pp 457-466
Jun 2016
PMID: 26462498
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Globally, there are nearly 33 million persons who have survived 5 or more years after a diagnosis of cancer [1]. We explore the salience of cancer in such people's self-concept as an important element for creating patient-centered care for those living with a cancer history.
Our data are responses to a free-listing exercise and subsequent qualitative interviews with 53 individuals aged between 45 and 74 who were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or breast or prostate cancer at least 3 years prior and had completed acute treatment. Participants lived in the Baltimore-Washington region of the USA.
Cancer was not necessarily salient to participants' current self-concept, and espousal of a "survivor" identity is complex. We construct a typology of seven contrasting meanings of "survivor" based upon participants' narratives (factual, beaten, functional, temporary, adversity, passage of time, and lucky or blessed) and present interviewees' rationales as to why they did or did not adopt a survivorship identity.
We examine the complexity of "survivorship" as an identity and people's affiliation with it, as well as how this relates to other salient and fluid elements of people's sense of self within a life course perspective.
Understanding how cancer factors into people's self-concept throughout the life course is important for designing effective, patient-centered programs that acknowledge diverse experiences and expectations and possible changes with the passage of time.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- The salience of cancer and the "survivor" identity for people who have completed acute cancer treatment: a qualitative study
- Creators
- Katherine Clegg Smith - Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. katecsmith@jhu.eduAnn C Klassen - Drexel UniversityKisha I Coa - BloombergSusan M Hannum - Bloomberg
- Publication Details
- Journal of cancer survivorship, v 10(3), pp 457-466
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Grant note
- R21 CA152789 / NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009314 / NCI NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000376032700004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84944691710
- Other Identifier
- 991019168560904721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: SDGs in the Output
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Oncology
- Social Sciences, Biomedical